A thermostat providing modulated or analog control of valves or dampers of an air management system. This permits operating a single cooling or heating stage with partially open valves or dampers as needed, since one full stage that is either fully on or off may not be easy to manage for effective air management of a particular type of building, zone or facility. The thermostat may also provide non-modulated control of multi-stage cooling and heating systems. The thermostat may even be used to control a modulated system having more than one stage of cooling or heating.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A thermostat system comprising: a processor having a user interface; and a program, in the processor, having an at least one configuration for an air management system, the at least one configuration comprising: an air management system identification; a listing of zones for the air management system; parameter settings for each zone; schedules of the parameter settings; a modulated control for a plurality of heating stages for at least one zone; a modulated control for a plurality of cooling stages for at least one zone; and a modulated control for a simultaneous operation of a heating device and a cooling device.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of programmable thermostats; and wherein the processor may download the program having at least one configuration to each thermostat of the plurality of thermostats.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneous heating device and the cooling device is for affecting humidity.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one configuration comprises a modulated control for an air mover.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the modulated controls comprise PIT) (proportional, integral and derivative) control loop tuning.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the parameters are selected (tom a group consisting of temperatures, humidity, sensor selection, volume of air movement, the percentage of added fresh air, modes of occupied, unoccupied or standby of certain spaces for at least one zone.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one configuration further comprises a selectable non-modulated control for the pluralities of the heating and cooling stages and for the air mover.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is a portable configuring device.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor has a capability comprising: uploading a configuration from a thermostat of the plurality of thermostats; modifying the configuration; and downloading the configuration to the thermostat.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor may download the configuration to several thermostats of the plurality of thermostats.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein: the processor may upload a configuration from a thermostat of the plurality of thermostats; the configuration may be diagnosed for possible problems; the configuration may be modified to remove the possible problems; and the configuration may be downloaded to the thermostat of the plurality of thermostats.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is a personal digital assistant.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the personal digital assistant is selected from group of devices consisting of a Palm™ and the like.
14. A thermostat system comprising: a plurality of thermostats; and wherein each thermostat of the plurality of thermostats comprises at least one configuration for an air management system, the at least one configuration comprising: an air management system identification; a listing of zones for the air management system; parameter settings for each zone; schedules of the parameter settings; modulated controls for a plurality of heating stages for at least one zone; and modulated controls for a plurality of cooling stages for at least one zone.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of thermostats is connected to a communications bus.
16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a sequencing system controller connected to the communications bus, for controlling and staging the plurality of thermostats.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one configuration further comprises a modulated control for a simultaneous operation of a heating device and a cooling device.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the simultaneous heating device and the cooling device is for affecting humidity.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one configuration comprises a modulated control for an air mover.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the modulated controls comprise PID (proportional, integral and derivative) control loop tuning.
21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the parameters are selected from a group consisting of temperatures, humidity, sensor selection, volume of air movement, the percentage of added fresh air, modes of occupied, unoccupied or standby of certain spaces for at least one zone.
22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one configuration further comprises a selectable non-modulated control for the pluralities of the heating and cooling stages and for the air mover.
23. The system of claim 22 , further comprising: a configuring device; and wherein; the configuring device may communicate with system sequencing controller; and the configuring device may upload, store, modify and download one or more configurations of the system sequencing controller and at least one configuration of the plurality of thermostats.
24. The system of claim 22 , wherein the configuring device is a personal digital assistant.
25. A thermostat system for controlling at least part of an HVAC system, wherein the HVAC system includes three or more heating and/or cooling stages, the thermostat comprising: a first modulated output coupled to a first stage of the three or more stages and providing a first modulated variable output for controlling the first stage; a second modulated output coupled to a second stage of the three or more stages and providing a second modulated variable output for controlling the second stage at the same dine as the first modulated output provides the first modulated variable output for controlling the first stage; and a discrete on/off output coupled to a third stage of the three or more stages for providing a discrete on/off output for controlling the third stage.
26. The thermostat of claim 25 wherein the first stage is a heating stage.
27. The thermostat of claim 26 wherein the second stage is a heating stage.
28. The thermostat of claim 27 wherein the third stage is a cooling stage.
29. The thermostat of claim 25 wherein the first stage includes a first boiler stage.
30. The thermostat of claim 29 wherein the second stage includes a second boiler stage.
31. A thermostat system for controlling at least part of an HVAC system, wherein the HVAC system includes two or more heating stages and one or more cooling stages, the thermostat comprising; a first modulated output coupled to a first heating stage and providing a first modulated variable output for controlling the heat output of the first heating stage; a second modulated output coupled to a second heating stage and providing a second modulated variable output for controlling the heat output of the second heating stage at the same time as the first modulated output provides the first modulated variable output for controlling the heat output of the first heating stage; and a discrete on/off output coupled to a cooling stage fir providing a discrete on/off output for controlling the cooling stage.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 18, 2003
August 1, 2006
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